CIARA MAGEEAN RECORDED a career second fastest time in Glasgow to book her place in the 1,500m final this evening.
Placing third fastest in the overall qualifying, the 26-year-old missed out on automatic qualification after finishing third in her heat.
“It was good,” she told Athletics Ireland after the race. “I was a little disappointed though, I wanted one of the automatic qualifier spots.
“But, look, I’m through to the final.”
Pushing herself to a time of 4.08.15, Mageean admitted to feeling unwell after the race.
“I feel a lot better after doing my cool down. I raced my second fastest race indoors so, the legs get a little bit lactic.
I feel bad I didn’t stop for the other media – I didn’t want to throw up on their shoes.”
She added: “Recovery is most important now. Whoever recovers best is in the best position for the final.”
She will be out on track on again on Sunday for the final.
There was more good news for Mark English this evening, who claimed victory in his 800m heat in a time of 1.49.38.
“I felt good out there,” he said afterwards. “I was nice and smooth coming into the last lap.”
He will take to the track again tomorrow for Saturday’s semi-final.
Phil Healy, meanwhile, was unable to build on this morning’s third place finish in the women’s 400m.
After recording a time of 53.13 and making it through as one of the fastest non-automatic qualifiers, she fell short in tonight’s semi-final.
She tangled with Italy’s Ayomide Folorunso down the closing straight and once again finished third – the result not enough to earn her a spot in this weekend’s final.
My aim was to go out there and be third or fourth at the bell so I’d be in the best possible position. I felt great coming into the back straight of the second lap to take off into the final 50 metres.
“But because I came out, the Italian connected with my leg and that totally impeded me.”
Elsewhere tonight, Zak Curran finished fifth in his 800m qualifier. Conall Kirk finished sixth in his heat in a time of 1.50.50.
Sommer Lecky exited tonight’s proceedings but recorded a best clearance of 1.75 metres in tonight’s high jump qualifiers.
Bernard Jackman joins Murray Kinsella and Gavan Casey to discuss the backlash to World Rugby’s league proposal, captaincy styles, sports psychology and more in The42 Rugby Weekly.
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